


A Second Chance

by soapficgal



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:49:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soapficgal/pseuds/soapficgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicole and Lucas find themselves in a situation where they may start to need one another again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Second Chance

  
  
**October 15, 2008**  
  
Unlovable. That’s what they’d always said about her. Those were the words still falling from the mouths of the self-righteous Salemites that had mocked her with their moral superiority for years. They constantly found ways to belittle her--to tear her down, but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before. It wasn’t something she hadn’t felt long before they dared to verbally assault her with those terms. Hell, it was getting to the point that she’d almost felt out of place had she not heard someone sling that insult in her direction. After all she was Nicole Walker and when it came down to it that’s exactly what Nicole Walker was--unlovable.  
  
Maybe it started when she was a child, Nicole pondered as she stepped into the bar ready to numb out the memories of the past that had always haunted her on this day. Maybe it was because she wasn’t good enough or perhaps it was simply that she was too pretty. Maybe that’s why Paul had taken notice of her. Heaven knew he didn’t have much of an interest in anyone else in their family. Brandon was more so a subject of distain for her cruel and vile father when Paul had taken to getting drunk more often than Nicole cared to admit. He’d spend his time beating on Brandon and Faye, letting them know over and over again what a disappointment they were to him. He’d shout and kick and scream and terrorize the both of them to the point that Nicole would always try to pull Brandon away with her. She would hide in her tiny closet and pray for the day that the madness would end. She only hoped that the shouting would stop. That the fighting would just go away and it very seldom did except for in those moments when Paul came to her. Even now she could still remember the way his breath felt over her, the times he’d taken her out and dressed her up calling her daddy’s little princess. At the time she’d almost believed it, but not now.  
  
“Give me a martini. Extra dry and keep them coming,” Nicole instructed setting her handbag down on the dirty bar in front of her. Her blue-green eyes focused on the man in front of her, seeing the way that his lecherous eyes pressed over her, no doubt anticipating the ways he’d like to have his way with her. They all did that, Nicole thought to herself. It was her one gift. After all it’s what her father had always boasted about. She was his beautiful little girl and she would go far in life.  
  
“If only you could see me now daddy,” Nicole muttered under her breath sliding onto the bar stool and thinking about the man who had stolen her innocence away from her and made her what she was today. It was because of her father’s faith in her beauty and sexual prowess that she’d gone from a troubled youth, to the bitter, unlovable bitch that everyone in Salem wish would’ve just disappeared. It was what had turned her cold and hardened her heart against the world.  
  
“Here you are,” the man behind the bar returned with her drink and winked at her, “and if you need anything else…”  
  
“Just the drinks,” she explained curtly waving her hand at him to leave her be. Sure, Nicole could play the blame game right about now especially on a day like today, but there was no point. She could’ve gone to see her mother, but in true Faye Walker fashion, Nicole was certain her mother would’ve sobbed and heaved over the man she was married to. Nicole could just hear the excuses her mother would make now about how Paul had been stressed--about all the times that Paul had worked hard, but gotten no where. She could feel her mother’s crocodile tears and words in Paul’s defense carrying over her even now. That in itself made Nicole needs this moment all the more.  
  
“He’s exactly where he should be,” Nicole muttered under her breath thinking about how seven years ago on this day her father had breathed his last breath. He’d deserved every last second of agony he’d received in that hospital and when he’d tried to strangle Nicole, she could see the same cold, blackness in his eyes that matched his heart. He’d sought out to kill her in his final moments, but what he failed to realize is that the damage had already been done. Nicole had been dead for years--a mere shell of her former self and nothing was going to change that. Sure she’d believed she’d found a second chance when she had fallen for Eric Brady, but that was destined to fail just like everything else in her life.  
  
“You sold my brother out for money,” Nicole could hear Sami’s screeching over and over again in the back of her mind. While Nicole had wanted to argue the point, she knew that had been the case. Yes, Nicole had loved Eric with all that she had, but when Kate had offered up the promise of five million dollars, Nicole couldn’t walk away from it. Even if she tried, she knew that she couldn’t ignore the opportunity that had presented itself.   
  
While people would like to chastise her and talk about the evils of money, Nicole knew that the fact to the matter was that money made the world go around. Living without it was torture and anyone who argued that point was in self denial. She’d been there with nothing, seen what kind of life it had given her and she never wanted to back to that again. That’s why she took Kate upon the offer to marry Lucas for five million dollars against her heart. It was why she’d given herself to Victor Kiriakis and submitted to his endless torture time and time again. Yes, Nicole might’ve tried to kill Victor, but after the torture and the multiple times he’d forced her to relinquish her control to him against her will, he had deserved it. Much like her father.  
  
“I’m a survivor,” Nicole mouthed to herself finishing off her drink before turning her attention to the bartender once again. She tapped her perfectly sculpted nails on the countertop before clearing her throat. When that didn’t work, she tossed her blonde hair over her shoulders and curled her lips in a flirty pout knowing full well it was her siren call that always worked like a charm. Within seconds the man returned to her with a wide grin.  
  
“You ready for that next drink?” he questioned catching the way she leaned in over the bar closer to him.  
  
“More than ready,” she slurred reaching out across the top of the bar to caress the tips of his fingers with hers. Surely that simple gesture would provide her with at least one free round of drinks. She winked at him and licked her lips, seeing him melt before her and as he turned to comply to her request she knew she had him at her mercy.  
  
“I’ll be right on it,” the bartender obliged with a goofy smirk of his own undoubtedly thinking about all the ways he would attempt to charm her with boring small talk and disgusting innuendos the rest of the evening while she drown herself in alcohol. Perhaps if she was drunk enough, she might flirt back or even take him back to her hotel room. Then again, maybe not. It all depended on what level of self loathing she was ready to take herself to on the anniversary of her father’s death in remembering his final homicidal act towards her.  
  
“She doesn’t need another drink,” she heard a voice instruct the bartender. A moment later she felt a warmth beside her and she frowned realizing that her alone time had been intruded upon. She watched a few dollar bills fly onto the counter as the bartender turned his attention to her uninvited guest. “She won’t be staying here much longer.”  
  
“The hell I won’t,” Nicole hissed spinning around on the barstool to see Lucas Roberts standing before her with that same morally superior look that he’d started to wear over the last few years. There was a time when he was a shady, little weasel, but now that Sami Brady had broken his heart by sleeping with the enemy literally people had seen him in a different light. Still, just because Nicole and Lucas had a history, she didn’t owe him anything. Especially not on a day like today. “Go away Lucas.”  
  
“As much as I’m sure I’ll wish that I did later, the fact to the matter is that I’m not going anywhere without you,” Lucas announced puffing out his chest as his eyes transformed to a look that Nicole hated. It was pity. That was the one emotion worse than contempt and she hated it. Even now she found herself wanting to slap Lucas for staring at her with the same eyes that everyone did when they saw just how broken she truly was.   
  
“Leave me alone Lucas,” Nicole sneered getting up off of the barstool and motioning to the bartender. “I’ll be in the corner waiting, so please just mix up another drink and bring it over there.”  
  
“If you do, then I’ll call your boss right now and explain to him that you’ve been breaking a few laws in selling to minors,” Lucas warned motioning to an obviously under aged group seated near the front doors. “The choice is yours.”  
  
The bartender frowned before throwing an apologetic look in Nicole’s general direction, “Sorry, but the bar’s closed.”  
  
“Fine,” Nicole huffed reaching for her handbag, “then I’ll go and find somewhere else to party. As for you Lucas, well you can go to hell.”  
  
“Nicole,” Lucas watched her march out of the bar and he groaned, but grudgingly followed.  
  
“Taxi,” Nicole called out to one of the cars driving by, but they passed on, thus leaving her open for Lucas and his lectures. Still, she clutched her purse close to him and fought to ignore him.  
  
“Nicole, I think we need to talk,” Lucas explained approaching her with a determined stride. “Maybe we should go for some coffee and…”  
  
“And nothing,” Nicole’s eyes narrowed down at him, “I don’t know why you took it upon yourself to find me, but you can rest assured that I don’t need your saving. Besides, I thought that Austin was more of the uninvited hero in the family. What happened? Since he ran off with Carrie and Sami left you, you decided to try a good guy act for a change to see where it will get you? Well, I’ve got news for you Lucas. The good guys finish last. Trust me on that.”  
  
“I know you’re not speaking from personal experience,” Lucas tossed back at her with a huff.  
  
“Of course I’m not,” she glared at him once again, “but then again you should know that first hand considering how little I actually care about anything you have to say. I mean haven’t you figured out by now just how insignificant you are to me Lucas. Surely your mother’s bribe she offered me when we were married should’ve clued you in to that.”  
  
“I realize what you are Nicole, which is why I had to see you,” Lucas decided making a small movement towards her. His eyes searched hers once again before he spoke up in a cool and even tone. “I saw you with EJ earlier today at Salem Place.“  
  
“Excuse me?” she blinked back at him, surprise registering behind her eyes.  
  
“I saw you two together when he paid you off,” Lucas asserted with a frown. “I watched the exchange between the two of you and I know how he’s been using you to get Sami to stay by his side.”  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nicole snubbed his words. “Just go away.”  
  
“Nicole, I know that EJ has been blackmailing you somehow to work for him and I want to know what it is,” Lucas reached out to seize her arm. “What is he threatening you with?”  
  
“Let it go Lucas,” she attempted to pull away from him.  
  
“No Nicole. You have to tell me. I need to know,” Lucas pleaded with her once more, “What does he have over your head? What is he manipulating you with?”  
  
“Nothing Lucas,” she shoved him away from her with a huff. “EJ doesn’t have to have anything over my head. It’s not like that.”  
  
“Then tell me what it’s like,” Lucas prodded further.  
  
“It’s just…” Nicole found herself at a loss. Finally she reached into her handbag and pulled out the wad of cash that EJ had thrown at her when he’d called her on just how empty she truly was. She waved it around in the air with a huff, “this Lucas. This is what he gave me.”  
  
“To ruin my life?” Lucas questioned with a wounded expression.  
  
“This isn’t about you Lucas. When are you going to get it through your head that none of this has ever been about you?” Nicole raised her voice with a slur. “From the time you walked into my life it’s been about me, not you.”  
  
“It’s about me when you go after my family. When you helped that madman split Sami and I,” Lucas continued to lash out at her.  
  
“Lucas, Sami did that all on her own when she decided to hop into bed with EJ. I couldn’t make her turn her back on you like that,” Nicole reminded him bitterly, “I mean sure EJ has money and he’s charming, but I think you’re going about this the wrong way in giving me all of the credit in his seduction of her. I have nothing to do with any of the choices that Sami Brady makes because you know as well as I do that if I told her to do something, she’d run in the opposite direction.”  
  
“Then what were you doing at Salem Place with him?” Lucas frowned still requesting an answer for her.  
  
“Getting paid for my services, much like I did when I was your wife,” Nicole shifted her tone, offering up a flirty slur. She reached out to tease her nails across his chest before leaning in closer to him. “You remember what that was like, don’t you?”  
  
“Nicole stop,” Lucas pushed her away with a groan. “What the hell is wrong with you?”  
  
“Not a damn thing,” she informed him with a hardened expression. “I was just minding my business and having a great time before you decided to annoy me.”  
  
“By getting drunk out of your mind,” Lucas rolled his eyes at her before speaking up with a thick air of sarcasm. “Yeah, that always helps the situation, doesn’t it?”  
  
“It used to do the trick for you as well before you went on the path of the straight and narrow,” Nicole reminded him sharply. “Just because you’re not drinking anymore doesn’t mean the rest of us have to stop enjoying life.”  
  
“What life Nicole?” Lucas tossed back at her watching her turn to leave. “Philip told me that Victor had you thrown out of the house. I know you’re living in some dump of a hotel and there isn’t anyone in your life that you can talk to. Admit it Nicole you have less than nothing right about now.”  
  
“You’re wrong,” she lashed out at him. “I have this money and…”  
  
“And what happens when it’s gone? What then?” Lucas inquired watching her tense up at his words. “Where are you going to go when you’re left with nothing Nicole? You tried running away before and what did it get you?”  
  
“You’re the last person to lecture me on my mistakes Lucas,” Nicole warned spinning on her heel and facing him fully. She waved her finger in front of her face and snapped at him. “You’re the one that let the love of your life slip between your fingers by opening her up to the enemy. You’re the one who is wasting your time on trying to find the truth about what Sami’s doing by being around me instead of going to her. You’ve lost everything far more than I ever could, so don’t presume that gives you some kind of authority over me in this situation. At least I know I’m screwed up, but I keep living.”  
  
“And what kind of life is it? Brady’s gone. Victor’s gone and EJ Dimera is just about the last person in the world that you should be spending time with,” Lucas shook his head with heavy disapproval. “Whatever he’s offering you now Nicole will blow up in your face when he’s decided that you served your purpose.”  
  
“Lucas, I really don’t need this today,” she informed him with a wave of her hand. “Right now all I want to do is get completely smashed and then…”  
  
“Then what?” Lucas interrupted ready to say something more when Nicole took an uneasy step towards him.  
  
“I’m just going to…just…” Nicole stammered struggling to regain her bearings when a wave of nausea overtook her. She attempted to pull herself up from the lightheadedness that carried over her, but instead she found herself falling face forward directly into Lucas much to her dismay. After that the world went black.  
  
  
*******  
  
  
Lucas Roberts paced around the hospital waiting room wondering what in the world had possessed him to tail Nicole to the bar. Sure, he’d wanted to go to the Dimera mansion and just simply beat the life out of EJ after he’d witnessed EJ’s exchange with Nicole. Somehow after seeing that Lucas figured that Nicole would be easier to break, but now he was having his doubts. Moving around the waiting room, Lucas pondered calling Will to check in on him after Lucas had known Will had a big soccer game out in England. Last night Lucas had spoken with his son at great length over what was taking place in England, but now, well Lucas had wished that Will was back home in Salem. After everything that had happened, Lucas had hoped he would’ve been engaged in some kind of normal life instead of the bitter custody battle over Allie that he and Sami were involved in. Sure, they’d gone down that path before with Will a few years ago, but this was different. Allie needed to be safe and Lucas needed to concentrate on ensuring her safety even if it meant following Nicole around in the hopes of her giving up the goods on EJ Dimera.  
  
“Mr. Roberts,” he heard a voice call out to him. He turned around to see a petite resident approaching with a rather neutral expression.  
  
“How is she?” Lucas questioned wondering about what had transpired with Nicole.  
  
“In a pretty bad shape,” the resident admitted. “She clearly had been drinking and we found an extremely high volume of pain killers in her system…”  
  
“You mean Nicole tried to kill herself?” Lucas’s eyes widened with concern. “Is that what you’re saying?”  
  
“We aren’t ruling it out, but at this point we want to keep her under observation for a while. We’ve stabilized her, but…” the doctor’s worried eyes swept over him as she grew silent.  
  
“But what?” Lucas couldn’t help but ask.  
  
“We aren’t quite sure how this is going to effect her pregnancy,” the doctor admitted finally. “Things are still to early to tell and…”  
  
“Nicole’s pregnant?” Lucas couldn’t help but gasp at the revelation.  
  
“We’d just assumed that you were…” the woman started to apologize. “I mean when you brought her in everyone had mentioned you were married to her and…”  
  
“Can I see her?” Lucas questioned thinking about the detail that the doctor had given him. He wondered if this was yet another situation EJ Dimera had brought upon and unsuspecting Nicole.  
  
“She’s resting, but…” the doctor informed him as her pager went off.  
  
“I promise I won’t bother her. I just need to be with her and,” Lucas took in a long, slow breath knowing that word would undoubtedly spread around town faster than anything, but he realized it may be his only way in to seek out any information from Nicole, “our child.”  
  
“Your child,” the doctor repeated giving him a doubtful glance.  
  
“I was just surprised when you told me she was pregnant considering that Nicole’s medical history dictated that she wasn’t able to conceive,” Lucas continued to spout out the story that would be his key to visiting the woman who could offer up information on how he could reclaim his daughter again. “We sort of gave up believing in miracles.”  
  
“I can understand that,” the doctor added sympathetically, “but you might want to try to help her during this time. It’s clear by what happened today that she’s under some kind of emotional stress and could be a threat to herself and the child if she’s not…”  
  
“I’ll be with her every step of the way,” Lucas assured the doctor, feeling a new sense of hope carry over him. “All you have to do is let me see her and I swear to you that…”  
  
“Normally I wouldn’t agree to this, but since your grandfather is a bit of a legend at this hospital, well I suppose I could let you in this once…” the doctor decided after a moment of contemplation, “but with Nicole’s situation we’ll still have to go through the proper channels and…”  
  
“I realize that and I can assure you I’ll do my best to help her through this,” Lucas promised finding himself eager to get the information from Nicole that she’d kept from him thus far. Somehow he had the feeling that whatever truth was behind her pregnancy, it could only be good things for his future with his daughter.  
  
  
*******  
  
A fresh wave of nausea overtook Nicole as the blinding light filtered into the hospital room. She groaned feeling as though she’d been in a train wreck before she’d awakened. Her head was aching, her body throbbing and just when she’d contemplated if she’d hit rock bottom and taken that bartender back to her hotel room, she felt a warmth over her hand. Opening her eyes further, she was surprised to discover Lucas seated beside her with his hand over hers. Her first instinct was to retreat from the embrace fearing that he‘d been her new bedmate, but then she realized they weren’t in her hotel room. In fact, the sudden beeping sounds awakened her further as she discovered she was in some sort of hospital room.  
  
“Where am I?” Nicole questioned in a raw, achy tone. Her throat was dry and words weak as Lucas leaned in over her.  
  
“The hospital,” Lucas explained in a quiet tone, “although I don’t know how you could believe that you were headed anywhere else than this place after all the pills you took earlier.”  
  
“Pills?” she frowned up at him, “What pills?”  
  
“The ones that you decided to use as a chaser before your drinking binge,” Lucas replied with a shake of his head. “What were you thinking Nicole?”  
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she grumbled in response finally taking the initiative to pull her hand away from his. “I didn’t take any pills.”  
  
“That’s not what the doctors are saying. They are telling me that you were on painkillers and…” Lucas tossed back at her.  
  
“They are wrong,” Nicole pushed herself on the bed, attempting to pull up, but instead she felt overcome by the weight of exhaustion and fell back onto the thin mattress. “I didn’t take any pain killers. I’ll own up to a martini, but…”  
  
“Nicole, you wouldn’t just magically have pain killers in your system if you weren’t…” Lucas began again.  
  
“I’m telling you I didn’t take anything Lucas,” she argued with him, raising her voice with agitation. “While I wouldn’t mind being blitzed out of my mind, I’m not about to go and do something stupid like overdose. Even at my lowest point I can assure you that I don’t do drugs. I wouldn’t take them ever again after what they did to me in the past when my father… Never mind. The point is I didn’t take anything.”  
  
“I wish I could believe you Nicole, but I’m not feeling this situation,” Lucas shook his head at her. “I’m finding it hard to trust anything you have to say at this point.”  
  
“Then why the hell are you here? Who said I needed you anyways?” she grumbled in response before glaring up at him. “You can just leave Lucas.”  
  
“I would, but the sad fact to the matter is that I need you Nicole,” he blurted out much to his own dismay. “Right now I’m fighting for my daughter’s safety and whether I like it or not you’re the one person who can help me bury EJ Dimera. I need you.”  
  
“You’re barking up the wrong tree Lucas. What you need to do is talk to Sami and…” Nicole interrupted with a scowl knowing full well that the last thing she wanted was to be thrown into a domestic dispute between Lucas and Sami once again as she had when she’d been married to Lucas in the past.  
  
“Nicole, if you go with me to talk to her, then I’m convinced she’ll listen to me about what kind of jerk EJ is especially when she learns that you’re having EJ’s baby,” Lucas blurted out with an impassioned tone.  
  
“What?” Nicole tipped her head to the side and stared up at him blankly. “Lucas, what are you talking about?”  
  
“I know you’re pregnant Nicole and I know that EJ has to be the father,” Lucas continued to press for the information that had evaded him.  
  
“Trust me Lucas I’m not pregnant and if I was, well EJ Dimera most certainly wouldn’t be the father,” Nicole waved her hand dismissively before groaning again.  
  
“Nicole, you are pregnant,” Lucas asserted once again. “The doctors confirmed it earlier today, which leads me to my next question, if EJ isn’t the baby’s father, then who is?”  
  
“You’re so full of it,” Nicole spat back at him feeling her angers mounting. “I’m not…”  
  
“Pregnant,” Lucas reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper that was confirming it. He handed it over to her and gave her another long look, “which means that you’re going to need my help in all of this, so we really need to start talking right now.”


End file.
